are the birds of america more rare than the birds f africa?
The Birds of America is the title of a book by naturalist and painter John James Audubon, containing paintings and scientific description of a wide variety of birds of the United States. It was first published as a series of sections between 1827 and 1838. The work consists of hand-colored, life-size prints made from engraved plates measuring around 39 by 26 inches. The original edition was engraved in aquatint by Robert Havell Sr. and son, Robert Havell Jr.; known as the “Double Elephant folio”, it is often regarded as the greatest picture book ever produced. A copy in excellent condition sold at Christie’s in March of 2000 for $8,802,500, is still (as of 2007) a world record for any printed book. All 435 of John James Audubon’s known extant watercolors preparatory for Birds of America are housed at the New-York Historical Society in New York City. There are 119 complete copies of the Double Elephant Folio in existence today; less than a dozen of these are in private hands.
But it’s not only rare birds that are becoming rarer, common birds are becoming less common. In eastern North America, Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica is fast disappearing from the skies. Following continent-wide declines of nearly 30% in the last decade alone, this common species has been uplisted to Near Threatened. “Across Africa, widespread birds of prey are also disappearing at an alarming rate, and emblematic species such as Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) and Martial Eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) have been uplisted as a result. These declines are mirrored in many species, in every continent”, said Jez Bird, BirdLife’s Global Species Programme Officer. Sources: http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/05/red_list.
